Sector Insight (interactive): deodorants and body sprays

Although essential to many of us, these products depend on innovation to thrive.

Trends

Personal-care staple. Deodorants benefit from being seen as an essential part of personal-hygiene routines.

Market growth. Value sales increased 6% last year to reach an estimated £616m, helped by active NPD in the sector.

Fine-fragrance brands. Through 2012, a number of 'fine fragrances' expanded into the deodorant market, such as DSquared, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and Gucci.

Marketing. A combination of product innovation and creative marketing and advertising in this category has maintained visibility and interest in these products.

Demographic changes. Older people - who will grow in number over the next five years - tend to use deodorants less often. The most-regular deodorant users, the under-25s, are forecast to decline in number (2012-17).

Gender-specific. Unisex varieties are losing favour - down 10% last year - as men and women seem increasingly attracted to the more gender-specific options produced by manufacturers.

Source: Mintel

UK retail value sales of deodorants and body-sprays by gender (£m)*

*Year to October 2011 and October 2012. Source: Mintel/based on SymphonyIRI Group Infoscan

Deodorant brands by UK value share, year to October 2012 (%)

Source: Mintel/based on SymphonyIRI Group Infoscan

Body-spray brands by UK value share, year to October 2012 (%)

Source: Mintel/based on SymphonyIRI Group Infoscan

Main players

In 1993, Senderos joined Unilever in Mexico as part of the marketing team on Vaseline. He has also had stints in Brazil and worked across spreads, ice cream, beverages and personal care. He is currently responsible for Unilever's deodorants portfolio, including Lynx and Dove, in the UK and Ireland.

Neil George, marketing director, Northern Europe, Beiersdorf

George was made Beiersdorf's first marketing director across Northern Europe last year as the company restructured. He has spent most of his career in FMCG marketing in Asia, the Middle East and Europe, previously at Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser.

Ben Haxworth, marketing director, Henkel

Haxworth joined Henkel in 2007 after more than five years as a marketing consultant, having been director at Millward Brown before that. Previously, he worked at Colgate-Palmolive in Australia and Malaysia, across various categories.

Winners and losers in the deodorants and body sprays sector

Dove. As well as commanding 16% of the deodorant market, Dove is the most trusted brand, according to brand research by Mintel.

Sure. One of Unilever's many deodorant brands, Sure is the market leader with 31% brand share and a 6% increase in sales (2011-12). Last year, Unilever introduced a compressed aerosol that uses smaller pack formats, while the product within lasts as long as the bigger variant.

Lynx. Entered new territory in 2012 with the introduction of Lynx Attract aimed at women. Its launch was accompanied by one of the brand's typical tongue-in-cheek ads, with the tagline 'Unleash the chaos'. Lynx dominates the body-spray sector with 52% share, although value sales of its deodorant fell 16% (2011-12).

Brut. Despite trying to ditch its perception as a 'dad's brand' by seeking a more youthful, 'blokey' positioning, Brut has not achieved notable market share in the deodorants category. It is still seen as tired and unappealing, as well as old-fashioned, according to brand research by Mintel.

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